UCookbook: Crispy zucchini latkes

The latke: A pancake marries a potato, and you get to eat it for dinner. What’s not to latke? Even if you’ve never heard of or seen one in your life, the latke will pleasantly surprise you with how impressive it makes you look in the kitchen and also how easy it is to make. We’re putting a new spin on the latke by using zucchini, but what makes this recipe fun is that you can sub in any other vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, or parsnips. Happy shredding, friends.

Topping

Wash the zucchini, cut off both ends, and shred with a grater into a large strainer. Drain the excess liquid with paper towels.

Finely dice the onion and put it in a large bowl. Next, add the zucchini, breadcrumbs, shredded potatoes, eggs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and mix together until all of the ingredients are well blended.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of the mixture to the pan, flatten with a spatula, and fry until the edges turn brown. Flip the latkes until both sides are golden brown (roughly 1–2 minutes on each side). Repeat until there’s no more mixture left.

Drain the latkes on a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Once dry, serve the latkes with Greek yogurt or apple sauce on top.

Zucchini is one of those sneaky veggies with lots of Vitamin C, potatoes pump up your potassium, and the protein in that Greek yogurt will help keep you full.

Recipe review

“What’s better than a recipe that works for one meal? A recipe that can work for all three meals and is healthy to boot! This tasty zucchini latke recipe can be made quickly with minimal muss and fuss, ideal for students who have a jam-packed schedule as well as a desire to do a little good for their bodies.”

Cost

Most of the ingredients (flour, salt, pepper, oil, eggs) are basics that you probably already have on hand—or are cheap enough to purchase if you don’t. I only needed to buy the breadcrumbs and zucchini, which cost me a whopping $3 (crazy, I know). It made enough to feed at least one person for four meals (or four people for one meal?)—so I’d call that a win.

Convenience

This easy recipe is one that even an inexperienced cook could successfully make. If you wanted, you could even put it together the night before to make for a quick meal the next day. These latkes reheat well: just toss them in a frying pan for a few minutes and they’ll have that freshly-made crunch again. One caveat: As a lifelong member of the Slow Cooks Club, this recipe took me about an hour to complete, but I’m confident that most people could whip up a batch of these in about 30­­–45 minutes. As far as equipment, you’ll need a grater, strainer, large bowl, frying pan or griddle, and a spatula—plus a paper towel.

Taste

These zucchini latkes were quite tasty, especially considering there wasn’t much seasoning. But it’s versatile; to make these even more flavorful, you could add seasoning salt, cayenne, or another spice of choice. Plus you can control how much oil or salt you’d like to add. You can truly be your own personal chef to create this yummy, veggie-filled meal.